Reversing the Hourglass
by Black Confession
Summary: Not so much Texas Chainsaw as mentioning it. Story for english. Two Texans travel back in time to a Phoenician Ship in the Mediterranean Sea. They soon relise it is the aftermath of visiting a presumably toxic swamp in the woods near their home.
1. Prologue

Once again, mot really Texas Chainsaw Massacre as mentioning it. Stars two of my OCs, yet to make their debut. A story that got me into a writing contest.

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"Poke it."

I looked up at my companion with an open mouth. On any other day, I might have, if I had a stick and it was daylight. Now...I don't think so.

If you found yourself in the middle of a swamp, suspended by a fallen tree, with noxious swamp gases billowing up around you (honestly, it burns your nose), not to mention random floating body parts, would the best thing you suggest to your best friend be to poke a disembodied head?

Baron looked a bit taken back. "What?" she asked, her head cocking to one side like a curious puppy. I shook my head and returned my gaze to the swamp. A mauled arm bobbed by like a little plastic boat in a bathtub. I grimaced.

"I often wonder," I said slowly. "Why am I stuck with the crazies."

"Are you saying I'm crazy?" Baron asked, hiding a small smile.

"No, I'm not," I replied defiantly.

"Yes, you are."

"Yes I am." I paused briefly. "You're not like the other crazies."

She looked at me. "What do you mean?"

"Well, take our brothers for example. Drayton's a cook and he makes chilli out of human meat; Vilmer's got a freakish bionic leg; Tech's got a hook for an hand and he tags us all, like we're animals or something; Alfredo's got a weird eye and a speech problem; Tommy--!"

"No, Jack, calm down," Baron interrupted. "Let's not talk about our demented family and their cadillac chainsaws and their fancy trucks."

I threw a rock into the swamp, causing a small wave of toxic water to ripple throughout the surface. "Wait...are you insulting me?"

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "No." Baron shook her head slightly. "Why are you so negative?"

I shrugged. There was a moment's silence. "What if you could go back in time?" I asked thoughtfully.

"I wouldn't want to," she said softly, picking at a bit of bark on the tree.

My head shot up. "I thought you always wanted to go back in time. To sail the seas on a great big ship. Back when it wasn't owned by anybody." I waved my hands for drama.

Baron laughed softly at my antics. "I changed my mind," she concluded simply. "What if I did go back in time? What if I got _stuck_? I'd die before you or Bill or the Sawyers or the Hewitts were even born. If I _was_ reincarnated, I still would have never met you ." I patted her arm sympathetically before she continued her rant. "I'd be on the street, just like before you an' Bill found me. People don't change. Did you know that? They don't, Jack. Did you know when you're reincarnated, your personality barely changes? Kinda facinating."

"Are you alright?" I asked, concerned. "You look like you're gonna cry." I watched the younger woman's eyes water and spill over with tears. I blinked several times and relised something: I've seen Baron cry a number of times, but she's never seen me cry. I had cried before, but that was only around my [adoptive brothers and sister. Minorly embarrassing, but I digress. I had cried even more before I met them. Back when I still lived with my parents. That's another story, though.

"I noticed something," Baron ranted coincidentally. "I never appoligized for your eye. Tommy went crazy! I mean, how worried can you get?"A bit of laughter broke through. "Pretty much everyone lost their minds that day! Like I said--"

I cut her off, annoyed, "I'm _alright_. I'm fine. I've dealt with it, I've coped with it, I've run into walls..." Baron giggled. I cast a glance at the rapidly darkening sky. "We should start going home now."

Forgetting the fact we were in a truly disgusting swamp, we both stood, somehow causing the log to over balance and throw us both into the water. I surfaced quickly, covered in swamp goo and decomposing body slime, coughing and sputtering. When I opened my eyes (eye, rather) I found myself face-to-face with the very head I'd been dared to poke.

Our screams echoed dully through the forest along Route 17.


	2. Chapter 1

Luda May shook her head critically at our state before roughly rubbing a cloth on my face. I wrinkled my nose as she did so. I looked past her at the assembly of our estrange family, several of them hiding their laughter in their hands. My gaze shifted as Luda May tried to pick the patch over my eye off. I pulled away, glaring at her. As I ducked my head to pry the adhesive away from my skin, she turned to Baron. I heard Baron mumble something as the cloth quickly turned her tanned skin pink.

"Hey," I announced, prying my eyelids apart to reveal the empty socket. "Can you guys see my brain?" A few people groaned. I heard Tamara and Kaylin giggle to themselves. Tommy looked mildly amused.

"You're such a child," Vilmer said, moodily playing with the remote that controlled his bionic leg most of the time.

"And you're a pain in the neck," Baron said, nodding.

Luda May now addressed us both. "Tell me, why did you came through the door smelling like something that died?"

I considered this question for a few moments. "We, as in Baron an' me, were talking. Then we stood up and fell."

"From what I understand," Luda May began, annoyance lacing her voice. "That you two were sitting on a log in the middle of the swamp that your brother"-she shot an angry scowl in Alfredo's direction, whose response was to wave-"dumps dead things. Is that what you mean to tell me?"

"If you put it that way," Baron said in a considering voice, nodding. "Yeah. That's what we mean to say. The way _we're_ saying it, makes us seem _normal_."

Luda May chose to ignore this. "I would have thought that two twenty year old girls, each with a daughter of their own, would have completely disregarded the possibility of getting high off swamp fumes."

"Well," one of the twins, C. T., answered, sounding amused. "You were wrong."

"They really are stupid," Nubbins whispered to his twin. C. T. snickered.

"Insult me, why doncha?" I snarled, waving my arms. The silver-studded patch flopped around as I did so. Then it was Baron's turn to try and solve the problem.

"SO," she said loudly. "How 'bout we all forget our faults and go run naked along Route 17?!" Several people deadpanned.

"No 'fence or anything, buddy," I whispered in her ear. "But that didn't help."

She turned to face me very, very slowly. "I relised that, Jack. I relised that a long time ago. Five seconds ago, to be exact."

"No," Luda May said, ignoring Baron's comment with a measured amount of difficulty, obviously trying to get the image of herself, her husband, her children and grandchildren running around naked in a nearly deserted road. "You two are going to bed. You could get real sick, you know."

"Cool," we both said.

Several hours later, which would be after I heard several drunk Sawyers (and presumably a Hewitt, although Charlie never did much of anything anymore) sing their tone-deaf version of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive", I awoke. No wonder I had a nightmare.

But back to the point. I woke to Baron's frantic whispering.

"Hey, Jack. Get up. C'mon, I'm not kidding. Hello? Earth to the former Jaqoline Kathereen Blackguard! I'm talkin' to you! Excuse me, Mrs. Tommy Sawyer? Geddup!" I felt something collide with my head and let out a howl of pain.

"Ow, whachoodo tha' for?" I snarled, sitting up and rubbing my head.

"Watch." She held up a finger, waiting. A few moments later, the room lurched, causing her to stumble sideways. I blinked several times. "Why is it doing that?" Baron asked me.

I said the first thing that came to mind. "Ship."

"Ship?" she echoed uncertainly. I nodded. "Why?"

"Our room doesn't wobble." I paused. "And it seems too small."

"Coming from someone with no depth perception, I'll ignore that last one. But you _do_ have a point. Why're we on a ship, though? Hypothetically."

"We fell into the toxic bouillabaisse of the swamp. Maybe it did something to our brains."

"But," she protested, " Tommy and Alfredo both fell in and they're fine."

I creased my brow. "Define okay." She held up a finger, her mouth shaped into a small 'O'. A small sound escaped her throat as she fought for words. She shook her head and pace the length of the room a few times. I glanced toward the porthole in the room. "D'you think they know we're gone?"

"Okay, it's your time to be the stupid one." Baron took the opportunity to rub hypocrisy in my face. "When we've got eleven brothers, one sister, a daughter, a niece and a nephew, not to mention parents and grandparents, you figure no one will notice?"

"You're right," I said, chuckling.

"Oh," Baron exclaimed, parroting Drayton. "Great-grandma in Chainsaw Heaven, please don't hoodoo the girl!"

There was a knock at the door and we jumped. "Excuse me, miss and miss. The captain would like to see you."

"A'ight," we both said, exchanging glances.


	3. Chapter 2

I watched Baron cautiously open the door to a young freckled man. He looked rather embarrassed; there was sweat dripping down his brow and he was dancing nervously from foot to foot. Baron raised an eyebrow curiously. He apologized softly and beckoned us out of the room. She looked at me hopelessly, grabbing my arm and pulling me after her. I stumbled down the hall as she dragged me, which sent me falling onto the young man.

"Oh, sorry," I said from my spot on the floor. "Hey, help me up, Baron." She pulled me to my feet and glared at our leader, who had righted himself. He shrunk away and watched us warily. I blinked slowly. "Strange Man," I announced, tapping a finger on my chin. "Where are we?"

"We're in the Mediterranean Sea," he answered, shifting his weight.

Baron turned pale and began to panic. "Excuse me?" she gasped, massaging her throat. "Did you just say _Mediterranean Sea_?!"

"I believe so," the man stuttered. "W-Where are you from?"

"Tex..as." I shook my head and turned to my [sister. "Are we alive?"

Baron punched me on the shoulder. "Yeah, we're alive." She smiled apologetically as I rubbed my shoulder. "Sorry."

"Nutsy," I muttered, walking after the man.

I blinked as the captain stared down his nose at me. I hate it when people are taller that me. You think I'd be used to it with a husband that's a head taller than me. Practically everyone in the family is. But no.

"Hello," the captain said brightly. "I'm Captain Norvin Norwood." He offered his hand and a smile.

I bit back a giggle. "Jack Sawyer," I told him, shaking his hand and giving a small grin. I looked around and pointed at my companion. "And that's Baron..."

"Baron Ried," she lied, shaking his hand shyly. "Nice to meet you."

"You, too," the captain replied. "So," he turned and poured some steaming liquid into three cups. "How did you come to be in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea?"

We exchanged helpless glances and shook our heads. "We don't know," we said together. Captain Norwood raised a brow critically, causing us to shrink. He paced the room a couple times.

"Say, Jack, d'you have any siblings?" Captain Norwood asked randomly.

I stumbled over the question and stared at him. No one had ever bothered to ask me that. "Got 10 adoptive brothers, two adoptive sisters, and a blood brother." I furrowed my brow and turned to Baron. "Right?"

"Yeah," Baron muttered. "Too many."

"Really? Any children in that family ?" Norwood asked.

"Daughter, niece, nephew," I answered, not considering the question.

"Why?" Baron asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

"No reason," he said, shrugging. Captain Norwood looked around and groaned as a small red-headed girl skipped into the room.

"Hello," she said, looking at us She turned to the captain. "Who are they, Daddy?"

"This is Miss Ried and Miss--"

"Missus!" I said loudly.

"Fine then," Captain Norwood said, giving a small smile. "Mrs. Sawyer."

The girl curtsied. "My name is Blysse."

"Pretty name," Baron said absent-mindedly. I'm sure I heard her mutter, "Why can't I have a name like that?"

"That's pretty." Before I knew it, Blysse was holding my left hand and examining my wedding ring. "What's that say?" she asked, pointing at the inscription.

"'The Saw is Family'," I told her from memory.

"Oh. What's that?" She pointed at something etched into the ring.

"I-I don't know," I blinked, holding my hand out to Baron. "What's that look like to you?"

After several moments of careful examination, she spoke, "Jack, buddy, old pal...you have a chainsaw engraved on your wedding ring."


	4. Chapter 3

"Did you know that bunches of years from now, women with red hair will be burned at the stake 'cause people will think they're witches?"

Blysse looked at me cynically. Baron, Blysse and I were standing at the starboard railing of the ship, several days after the discovery of the chainsaw on my wedding ring. The question had slipped from my lips before I could stop it, earning me a well-aimed smack from Baron.

"Don't go telling people the future!" she hissed, nodding subtly at the young girl. "You could drastically change history. Make Adolf Hitler a famous ballerina." I laughed softly at the thought.

"Are you two sisters?" Blysse asked after a bit. "You seem like sisters." She squinted at us and wrinkled her nose, "But you don't _look_ like sisters."

"We're adopted sisters," I said, without relising that adoption didn't exist in the BC years, and if it did, it probably wasn't even called 'adoption'.

"Adopted?" Blysse echoed, confused.

"Yeah," Baron began to explain, nodding. "We come from different families." She paused before shaking a finger at the girl. "I got a daughter just like you. Can't keep her nose outta anything. Name's Kaylin. Probably your age, too."

Blysse turned to me. "Do _you_ have a child, Mrs. Sawyer?"

"Actually, I do," I answered, looking around the ship. "Daughter named Tamara."

"Look's nothing like your or Tommy," Baron sneered. "Same twisted mind, though," she added.

I scoffed. "I _told_ you. I was blond when I was younger." I looked up as Captain Norwood approached.

"We'll be docking off the coast of Sicily soon," he informed us. He handed us each a small bag of what I suspected was money of some sort. "In case you see something you like." He nodded his head in the direction of the little clinking parcel in my hand. "And be _careful_," Captain Norwood included, more to Blysse than me or Baron. He walked away and into the captain's quarters.

"Say," Baron said brightly as we walked down the dock. "Anything interesting here?"

Blysse shrugged menially. "There might be some jewelry or weapons somewhere," she said, sounding bored. She brightened suddenly. "You're not from around here, are you?"

I furrowed my brow. "What d'you mean?"

"From this time period."

The world seemed to go silent. A few shopkeepers looked us. Even the animals seemed a bit too quiet. Baron and I exchanged glances and shook our heads before answering together, "No, not really, no."

"Well," Blysse pondered, considering our answer. "Where _are_ you from?"

"The 1900s, AD, we live along Route 17 in Texas," Baron explained.

Blysse pursed her lips and pitched a low whistle. "Jeez."

Meanwhile, I had stopped at a stall that had a wide array of knifes. I ran a finger down the hilt of a slightly curved dagger and picked it up curiously. Set in the pummel was a large black stone, which I gently twisted away to reveal a hidden compartment. I twisted the gem back on and whistled to the shopkeeper.

"What for the pretty lady?" he asked quite ignorantly.

"Pretty?" I repeated, looking up and flicking my hair away from the leather patch over my eye.

He grinned slightly. "What's life without a few battle scars?"

"Touche," I agreed. I turned my attention back to the knife.

"You like?" the shopkeeper asked. "That knife is said to possess the soul of the demon Seth." The stone seemed to flash red.

"Really?" I placed the knife in the sheath and placed it away from the others. I selected another knife, this one with dark hilt and a green ribbon. The shopkeeper shook his head. "What, this one demonized too?"

He chuckled softly. "No," he said. "It just doesn't seem worthy of a lass with one eye. Too feminine...ish."

I laughed as Baron and Blysse approached. I pointed to a knife in the back of the shop. "How 'bout that one?" He brought the knife over to the counter. It had a black hilt with gold filigree swirling up to a rose carved out of what seemed like ruby.

"Trick to the eye," he said, showing me that it twisted away like to first one, although the space inside was considerably smaller. "The first one was used for messages," he told me, replacing the rose to its original position. "This one is more used for poison." He took the knife out of the sheath. The blade was tinted gold. "Metal enforced leather," he said, shaking the sheath.

I considered the knife for several seconds. "How much?" I asked finally.

"Hey, Jack?"

I sat up and looked at Baron, who was staring out the porthole of the ship. "Hmm?"

"How're we gonna get back?"


	5. Chapter 4

I walked slowly down the hall, one hand placed against the wall so I wouldn't fall. When I reached the end of the hall and the door to Captain Norwood's quarters, I knocked. Seconds passed like hours. Finally, he called out:

"Come in."

I opened the door, nervously fingering the new knife on my hip. I looked around cautiously before watching the captain. He was sitting behind what I figured was supposed to be his desk, a cigar stuck between his teeth. I swallowed before explaining myself.

"Captain Norwood, sir," I began shakily. My mouth felt dry and I licked my lips. "I was wondering if you could take us, as in me and Baron, to where you found us, quote, unquote, floating in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea."

He watched me for a long time, the cigar glowing orange in the dark room. I shifted my weight uneasily and felt myself sweating under his gaze. I tugged on the collar of my nightshirt, and could hear an idling chainsaw motor in my ears. I had a strange image that he would do something Bad to me, the way he was looking at me.

"Why?" Norwood asked after awhile.

"W-Why?" I echoed uncertainly. I straitened the best I could, the scar on my back preventing me from doing so all the way. "I want to go home."

Norwood leaned forward. "And where might home be, Jack?"

I jolted as he used my first name. I was silent. I turned, paced the length of the room and stopped, my head swiveling to look at him. "Texas. The United States. North America," I said.

"Why do you think taking you to where I found you would take you to North America?"

I wanted to say: "Because just taking me there wouldn't take me to the 1900s." I shrugged instead.

Captain Norwood leaned back again, taking a long pull on his cigar. I coughed slightly as the smoke filled my lungs. "I prefer chainsaw fumes to cigar smoke, thank you," I said without thinking. He raised a brow and took the cigar from his mouth.

"What did you say?" he asked me, sounding mildly amused. I snapped my mouth shut and shook my head rapidly. "You want me to take you to where I found you," Norwood said slowly, pointing the cigar at me. "Because just taking you there wouldn't change time." He studied me for a long time, trapping me in his gaze. "Is that what you mean to tell me?" I nodded slowly. "Wasn't so hard, was it?" I shook my head. "I'll see what I can do."

I gently shook Baron awake and she looked at me quizzically. "Guess what, buddy?" I whispered, watching the younger girl roll her eyes.

"I'm too tired for guessin' games, Skinner," she yawned, calling me by one of my nicknames since we'd been on this ship.

I smiled slightly. "Norwood's gonna try and take us home."

She sat up. "You mean, we're going to see everyone again?" she asked, brightening.

"I hope so," I said, sighing. I could feel the ship changing its course. "I miss them, don't you?"

"Well, yeah," Baron answered. "Wouldn't wish this life on a one-eyed ferret with mange," she said, mimicking Drayton again.

"Don't insult people with one eye," I told her. "Don't insult ferrets." I paused. "And don't insult mange."

Baron cocked her head to one side. "You got mange?" I poked her on the shoulder. I stood, walked to the other end of the room and paused. I turned and started back again. Baron watched me as if it were and extremely slow tennis match. "Are you alright?" she asked, standing and stopping me in my tracks.

I looked up and gave a weak smile. "Just anxious," I said simply, once again fingering the knife at my hip.


	6. Chapter 5

"Alright, here we are." Captain Norwood, Baron and I were positioned at the port railing, staring down at the ocean. I felt nauseous and dizzy. I looked up, holding a hand to my stomach, before ducking my head and retching over the side of the ship. Baron patted my back sympathetically.

"Seasick?" she asked as I straitened.

"No," I said woozily. "Smells like something that died." Baron sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose, waving her hand in front of her face.

"Jeez, you weren't kidding," she said, sticking out her tongue.

_BAM!_

Another ship collided with ours. "Can't get off scot-free," I mumbled, drawing the knife from its sheath. Captain Norwood had disappeared to the opposite side of the ship and was looking up at the crew members of the other ship. A plank of wood clunked down dully, creating a bridge between the two ships. He backed up and began shouting orders to the crew.

"Hey, there, missy," a man said, appearing infront of me like smoke. I risked a glance past him and saw the enemies were already boarding the ship. He raised a sword. "How'd you like to lose another eye?"

"Sorry," I snarled, plunging my knife toward his eye. The surface yeilded for a moment, then popped like a green grape. He howled in pain, jumping back and at the same time removing the knife from his now empty socket. "You first." I stepped forward, quickly sliding the blade through his throat like a warm knife through butter. I grinned manically.

"Jack!" I turned on my heel, running full pelt toward another man who had cornered Baron and Blysse. I jumped, bringing him to the deck of the ship and pressing the tip of the knife into his chest. He ceased struggling, and I saw blood fill his mouth. I wrinkled my nose in disgust as I stood up. I left as soon as a fellow crewmate had given Baron a sword to use.

I ran to the other end of the ship, looming there and waiting for my next victim. I found myself humming an Oingo Boingo song, one I knew the words went "Walking with a dead man over my shoulder." I turned my attention to Baron and Blysse once more, watching the younger woman defend the girl.

Then I felt pain. Hot, burning pain radiating from the white, knotted scar on my back. Warm blood surfaced around a cold steel blade and I could feel the whole thing throbbing with pain so great I thought I'd die right there. I tensed as my attacker buried the blade deeper, blood flowing even greater from the wound that once again ran from my shoulder to opposite hip. I was becoming light-headed. I distantly heard Captain Norwood, Blysse, and Baron, all shouting. Through clouded vision, I saw Baron fall from a blow to the head.

_So this is dying_, I thought, a small laugh echoing in my head as I felt the knife leave my flesh and I fell to the deck like a rock. My vision faded and all feeling left my body.


	7. Chapter 6

_I'm dead. If I'm not dead, then why do I hear voices? People, would you shut up? I'm busy being dead here!_

"Ma?" A shaky, crying voice broke through my thoughts. "Ma, are you alright?" I felt a small hand shake my shoulder and I ignored it. "Ma, wake up."

"It'll be alright," a second, equally familiar voice reassured the first. "Jack wouldn't die without saying goodbye."

Several more voices joined the other two, all talking in hushed voices, reassuring each other. They filled my pounding head and left a buzzing sound in my ears. I lay there, perfectly still, listening to their conversations.

"She's not dead, Tamara. I'd know if she was dead."

"Jack's always been good at ignoring people, but this is just annoying."

"How bout electro-shock therapy?"

"You need a bit of, ooo, shock treatment! Gets ya jumpin' like a real live wire!"

"Shut up, Baron, will ya?"

Baron. Baron. I opened my eye, looking around before trying to sit up. Tommy put a hand on my shoulder and pushed me back down. The room was filled with the family, _my_ family. Baron was holding a towel full of ice to her head, smiling as I looked at her on a perch at the end of the bed. Luda May was standing with her hands on her hips, which made me color slightly. Tommy was sitting in a chair next to the bed, Tamara sitting on his lap. And the rest of them were there. _All_ of them for once. Even Bill.

I gave a small squeal of delight as I saw Bill. "Thought you were in Mississippi," I said, creasing my brow. He shrugged. I turned to Baron. "What happened?"

"Well...you sort of _died_. I saw the man stab your shoulder, and I knew he was laying open your scar. Then you looked all drunk. I saw him shove the knife deeper and all this blood was just dripping on the deck. I felt like I was going to throw up. And then someone hit me on the head" -she shook the towel of ice- "and I was knocked out. Cold."

"I died?" I asked, grinning widely. "Gee, I'd always wondered what dying felt like!" That earned a hard, cold stare. I shrunk. "Sorry," I said softly.

"Well," Luda May said, trying to lighten the mood in a different way. "We're all here. We're all alive. Who wants to help with dinner?" Slowly, people began to file out of the room.

"C'mon, Tammy," Baron said, grabbing Tamara's hand as she stood up. My sister cast a glance over her shoulder and winked. The door shut with a small creak. I managed to sit up. Tommy gave me a worried look. An 'I-thought-I-lost-you' look mothers often give their children. I _felt_ like a child. I looked away. He patted my shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I don't understand it either," I told him, turning back around. He shrugged and kissed my cheek through the mask he wore. "Love you, too," I whispered as the door swung shut again.

-x-

**Disclaimer: **I do not own 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', the movies are acredited to Tobe Hooper, whoever wrote 'Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III' and 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation', and also to whoever wrote the remakes... Oingo Boingo is credited to...Oingo...Boingo's...producer-person. 'Shock Treatment' belongs to Richard O'Brien and Fox. Jack, Baron, Blysse, Captain Norwood, Freckled Man, Guy Who Jack Kills #1, Guy Who Jack Kills #2 (I'll stop know, you get the point)...are of my own creation. So, good ni--!

_Are you a fan of this story, _Reversing the Hourglass_? Look for more _Texas Chainsaw MassacreFriday the Thirteenth_, and _Jason vs. Leatherface_ -themed english stories, coming to a turn-in tray near you!_

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(I left that in there and I don't know why.)


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